GoogleDocs Overview: Google Docs is an application from Google that allows multiple people to edit one Word/Excel/Powerpoint (sort of like a Wiki but working with a formatted document rather than a web page). There is a free tour, set-up by google at this website. Once students have access on google, students can collaborate online to create presentations, share documents, and organize their work. Features:
Has Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, where students can collaborate online to do the work.
Detailed history of work that students do.
"Sharing" feature allows for easy monitoring of student progress by teachers.
Strengths:
THE BIGGEST STRENGTH is that you don't have to keep sending updated attachments with the document. Once the document is "shared" (which is granting peers access through their e-mail address), anyone can access it anytime and see all the edits peers make (similar to wikispaces).
Googledocs keeps a detailed history log of all the material that is updated; this is an awesome benefit for teachers. We can monitor group progress because if students share the document with us we can always see how well they're doing and examine exactly who is doing the work.
There is no longer a need for students to keep track of tons of paper. If students have difficulty remembering to bring their essay or whatnot to class each day, the teacher can use this as a way for them to always keep track of their document and never have the excuse: "I can't work on it; it's at home."
Can be accessed from anywhere (as long as there is internet).
Students are able to add several kinds of features to it.
Very basic, uncomplicated - unlike Word.
Weaknesses:
"Sharing" feature makes it easy to cheat.
Gmail has given my students difficulty about "verifying" their address - which is difficult at school if the students cannot access their personal e-mail accounts from the school.
Because it is a more simple, less complicated version of Word, it doesn't have the great and detailed features that Word offers.
Must have the internet to use.
Before using...
Have students establish an e-mail account with google and make sure the students verify it at home! This problem could make things very problematic, and don't be like and have a fully-thought out back-up plan.
Remind students of the history function, as to discourage cheating or allowing one student to do all the work.
Be aware of the students' internet capabilities. Do they have access at home? Will you allow adequate time in class to work on this project?
Best Practices:
#1: Collaboration is being emphasized today, and we need to take advantage of this resources to assist us in our teaching. The "sharing" feature is practically the best available for student collaboration. So, the best practice is to use this for our classrooms, and emphasize group projects and work.
#2: Examine student progress and monitor students' learning and group activity through the history function. Use the log to formatively assess student progress and change lesson plans accordingly. Constantly examine the students' work to make adjustments on lesson plans, what we are teaching, and deadlines.
#3: Use this resource to share resources and documents with students and possibly parents.
#4: Use Google Docs to keep track of all the students' documents for class. No need to worry about remembering to e-mail papers, print texts, or remember the Thumb Drive.
Bibliography
MAT Students, (Fall 2008). Google Docs. Retrieved February 9, 2009, from MAT Teaching Writing Web site: http://matteachingwriting.wikispaces.com/MAT Students, (Fall 2008). Google Docs. Retrieved February 9, 2009, from MAT Teaching Writing Web site: http://matteachingwriting.wikispaces.com/ This is an excellent resource from Megan Guise's Teaching Writing course in the fall. The class did great work to think about the use of some of these technology in the classroom. I think this website is useful for our future resources in several ideas on teaching, including wikispaces, blogging, social bookmarking, and other technologies.
Overview:
Google Docs is an application from Google that allows multiple people to edit one Word/Excel/Powerpoint (sort of like a Wiki but working with a formatted document rather than a web page). There is a free tour, set-up by google at this website. Once students have access on google, students can collaborate online to create presentations, share documents, and organize their work. Features:
- Has Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, where students can collaborate online to do the work.
- Detailed history of work that students do.
- "Sharing" feature allows for easy monitoring of student progress by teachers.
Strengths:- THE BIGGEST STRENGTH is that you don't have to keep sending updated attachments with the document. Once the document is "shared" (which is granting peers access through their e-mail address), anyone can access it anytime and see all the edits peers make (similar to wikispaces).
- Googledocs keeps a detailed history log of all the material that is updated; this is an awesome benefit for teachers. We can monitor group progress because if students share the document with us we can always see how well they're doing and examine exactly who is doing the work.
- There is no longer a need for students to keep track of tons of paper. If students have difficulty remembering to bring their essay or whatnot to class each day, the teacher can use this as a way for them to always keep track of their document and never have the excuse: "I can't work on it; it's at home."
- Can be accessed from anywhere (as long as there is internet).
- Students are able to add several kinds of features to it.
- Very basic, uncomplicated - unlike Word.
Weaknesses:- "Sharing" feature makes it easy to cheat.
- Gmail has given my students difficulty about "verifying" their address - which is difficult at school if the students cannot access their personal e-mail accounts from the school.
- Because it is a more simple, less complicated version of Word, it doesn't have the great and detailed features that Word offers.
- Must have the internet to use.
Before using...- Have students establish an e-mail account with google and make sure the students verify it at home! This problem could make things very problematic, and don't be like and have a fully-thought out back-up plan.
- Remind students of the history function, as to discourage cheating or allowing one student to do all the work.
- Be aware of the students' internet capabilities. Do they have access at home? Will you allow adequate time in class to work on this project?
Best Practices:Bibliography